To Get Her Attention
by magick-moments
Summary: When Harry finds out that Ron has fallen for Hermione, he decides that he will to anything to help his two best friends finally get together...sounds mushy, eh? You never know. You may LOVE mushy when I'm through with you! :) FINISHED!
1. Making the first move

A/N: I have this 'THING' with my personality that just possesses me to write...a lot. I like putting stuff here cause people review it and everything. No disclaimers, as you all already know who owns what and so forth. I don't think we need to clarify that, do we? Ha ha ha. Well, onward then!  
  
To Get Her Attention  
  
Chapter One  
  
'Dear Harry, I know you do this every summer anyway, but you've got to come to Diagon Alley! Hermione's coming! Besides, you and I both know you'd rather be eaten by a hippogriff than stay another day at that Muggle house. Come on! You know you want to! Hermione's coming tomorrow! You can't leave me alone with her...it would be...cruel.... Please come? Ron'  
  
Harry's brow furrowed in thought. Why on earth would Ron be that excited about Diagon Alley? And what on earth was he so worried about? He had been alone with Hermione plenty of times. Harry was indeed confused. Ron had always been...well, err...slightly jumpy concerning certain things, but since when had Hermione become one of them? He thought back a moment to his sixth year. Ron had been kind of quiet, once he thought about it. But then, that was strange too...Ron being quiet. And Hermione hadn't seemed like anything at all was wrong with her. He had received plenty of letters, but...no, nothing, at least not like how Ron's recent letters had been. The most exciting thing Harry knew happened this summer for Hermione was her turning seventeen. He smiled as he remembered that letter. She wasn't excited for normal reasons, and it was very amusing to read.  
  
'Harry, Thanks so much for the book about fire charms. It was really interesting! I've already read it from cover to cover! I can't believe I'm seventeen, Harry! That makes me of age, right? Dumbledore has to let me in on those Order meetings now! I'm so excited! I wonder what's been going on? The Daily Prophet sure hasn't said anything...but of course they've got Fudge hushing it all up...Oh, I can't wait to find out what's been happening! I can't wait! I'll finally get to help...do something that will make a difference, you know? I mean, unless you count that horrid incident in our fifth year, what else have we done? Sorry Harry, didn't mean it like that... I can just see your face. Well, will I see you in Diagon Alley this weekend? Ron's acting rather odd lately. Nearly cried when I told him I'd be meeting him there. Have you any ideas as to what's wrong with him? Love from, Hermione'  
  
So...Hermione had mentioned Ron in at least one of her letters. Harry had forgotten it. It was overshadowed by the fact that Hermione seemed to be unnaturally excited about the Order of the Phoenix. Harry was excited, too...he couldn't deny that. When he got his wand on that awful LeStrange woman...he felt the anger boil up inside him again and decided to think about something else. Anything. He looked at his trunk, his eyebrow raising, and made a quick decision.  
  
"Locomotor trunk!" he whispered, glancing around his room as if Ministry of Magic officials were hiding in his wardrobe. His trunk had raised itself several inches off the ground. He had made it down the stairs...  
  
"Boy, where do you think you're going?" His uncle Vernon snarled from the kitchen "AND WHAT IN RUDDY HELL IS THAT TRUNK DOING?"  
  
"I'm leaving, Uncle Vernon." Harry replied simply, trying to squeeze past his enormous cousin Dudley who was blocking the doorway with his abnormally large body.  
  
"Where do you think you're going? Get back here!" his uncle screamed. Harry had squeezed past Dudley, who had ran when he saw Harry's trunk floating down the stairs.  
  
"Like you care." Harry huffed. "I have some things to do before school starts this year." He made up an excuse and stuck his wand hand out. In his third year at Hogwarts, he had accidentally summoned the Knight Bus by doing this. His uncle, horrified at seeing Harry's wand out twice within five minutes, retreated into his house to try and act as normal as possible.  
  
The Knight Bus screeched to a halt in front of Number Four. Harry smiled at Ernie, the driver, but there was someone new, a woman, in place of the boy he had met last time.  
  
"Hello," she smiled. "Where you headed?"  
  
"Diagon Alley," he whispered.  
  
The woman gasped. "You're--"  
  
"Yes, yes. I know." He growled.  
  
"Why such a bad mood?" she was still calm despite his being short with her.  
  
Harry thought a moment, and frowned. He didn't really have a reason. He'd been on a short fuse for a while now. Ever since the end of his fifth year at Hogwarts. He shuddered, "Sorry. Just tired, I guess." He shrugged.  
  
Harry stepped on to the bus and looked for a bed. He was about to try and lay down when he heard a very familiar voice from a bed two rows down from his own. "Harry!" The perky Hermione Granger sat up (although how she managed to do so was beyond Harry). She was reading the latest copy of the Daily Prophet, whose top story of the day was about a colony of flesh eating slugs destroying a crop of mandrakes. Mandrakes were much less important than Voldemort. "Harry, are you listening?" He had forgotten that Hermione was there, and that she was indeed talking to him.  
  
"Oy, sorry..." he sighed. "Wait...why are you on the Knight Bus?" he asked her.  
  
"Wanted to try it for once. I've read about it, you see..." she explained. "And you? What's your excuse?"  
  
"Honestly, do I really need one? I live with the Dursleys. That should be excuse enough. Besides, I just had to get out of the house for some reason. I don't know..." He told her, and she nodded.  
  
"By the way, Harry. Happy Birthday." Hermione smiled. Harry couldn't help but blush. Most normal people wouldn't forget their birthday, but he wasn't like most normal people. He forgot his on a regular basis.  
  
He smiled at her. "Thanks, Hermione."  
  
"You headed to Diagon Alley as well?" she asked him in her best conversational tone. "I've told Ron I would meet him there...but there's supposed to be an Order meeting this weekend at the Three Broomsticks as well..." when she said this, she lowered her voice. Harry could barely hear her speak. "Are you going to go?"  
  
Harry frowned. "I might." Memories from his fifth year were floating around his head again. "I'm not sure, though."  
  
"Well, I think you should. Ron is going. Charlie, Bill, Fred, and George will be there. It will be neat to get to talk to them again. Have you been to Fred and George's joke shop? It truly is marvelous. They are quite brilliant..." Hermione had changed the subject, and Harry was glad. Thinking about Voldemort and the Order brought up memories that he hadn't dealt with yet.  
  
"Yeah, we should go sometime. Where is it?" he asked her.  
  
She smiled. "They opened it up in Diagon Alley. It's right across the street from Oliveander's Wand Shop...you know...where the Menagerie used to be?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
The woman Harry had met when he got on the Knight Bus cleared her throat, trying as politely as possible to interrupt their conversation. "Your stop is next, you two. Best be ready to get off..." she whispered.  
  
Hermione and Harry got off the Knight Bus together no less than thirty seconds later. The bus had dropped them right outside the Three Broomsticks. Harry took hold of his trunk and followed Hermione (who now had a slight hop in her step) into the building. The group of people in the back of the room was unmistakable. The flaming red hair gave them away. The entire Weasley family was there...except Percy. Dumbledore was there as well, standing next to Remus Lupin, and behind Nymphadora Tonks. Also seemingly awaiting Harry and Hermione's arrival were Severus Snape and Hagrid.  
  
"Why is everyone already here?" Harry wondered aloud. "Last time I checked, Order meetings weren't held in big open spaces where everyone and their grandma could hear," he smirked.  
  
"Oh, Harry...you and your temper. Calm down. It's probably nothing important if they're all sitting there like that." Hermione whispered to him.  
  
"This isn't the actual Order meeting, Harry," Dumbledore had a way of coming from out of nowhere. He smiled at Harry's surprised expression. "It's this weekend. These people are just gathered for a glass of butter beer and some dinner. Care to join us?"  
  
Harry was almost taken aback. He again surveyed the large group. The idea of the Weasley family conversing happily with Snape at the same table was nearly unimaginable. Harry couldn't help but laugh to himself as he realized that Lupin would be there, too. One of his father's best friends was sitting at the same table as a man his father had practically tortured through his school years. Finally, Harry could only shrug. If these people could manage to sit at the table without ridiculing each other, he would be perfectly all right.  
  
Hermione sat herself next to Ron. Ron, who was usually very pale, turned bright red for some odd reason. His younger sister Ginny nearly snorted into her cup of butter beer. Harry glanced from Ron to Hermione, and back again. Something was going on. Somehow, he had missed something, and now, he was the only one confused. Hermione seemed oblivious to everyone. Ron, still pink in his ears, had finally started eating, and across from Harry, Snape was having a very interesting conversation with Lupin about Quiddich, of all things. Harry listened in. Occasionally, he would glance curiously around the table, but nothing else of interest seemed to happen the rest of the way through the dinner.  
  
"Well, I'll be off, then." Snape hissed. "I have business to attend to, as you all well know."  
  
Mrs. Weasley waved. "You be careful." She whispered to him.  
  
Harry blinked. "Err..." he stood, staring at Snape, and wide-eyed at Mrs. Weasley. "Never mind..."  
  
"You will be coming to the meeting this weekend, won't you Harry?" it was Dumbledore again. "It's being held in London, at the headquarters..."  
  
Harry did a double take. "Where? You mean..." But Dumbledore had raised a finger to silence him, and he nodded. "But I thought...Sirius died, Dumbledore..." Harry groaned.  
  
"Yes, Harry, he did. There is something about that you and I need to discuss, anyway, so I do hope you attend." Dumbledore answered.  
  
"I will. Ron and Hermione are both going as well." He sighed. "I guess I'll see you again this Saturday?" But Dumbledore had turned, and was already out the door.  
  
That night, Harry shared his room at the Three Broomsticks with Ron. The two stayed up quite late talking, and Ron fell asleep sitting up. Harry had to laugh at him. He was having yet another nightmare about spiders (and frankly, after their second year, Harry couldn't blame him). Harry got up, paced the room, and then sat back down. It was then that the red book caught his eye.  
  
Harry's natural curiosity took over. The book was sitting there on Ron's nightstand...but the idea of Ron reading something without being forced to do so was a strange idea indeed. Harry couldn't help himself. He tiptoed over to Ron's nightstand, picked up the book, and flipped it open.  
  
It was nothing but a journal. But then again, since when had Ron kept a journal? Harry flipped through the pages, and stopped at the last page, and what he thought to be the most recent entry. His eyes grew wide as he read what Ron had written.  
  
'I don't think she even knows I exist...well...in that way, anyway. It's absolute torture, you know? I think about her all the time now, and I don't know why. Her and I are nothing alike...and I don't know, but I've always thought that her and Harry would end up an item. Well, obviously that hasn't happened yet, but even still, if Harry knew...he'd probably think I was some giant git or something. Or maybe not? I don't feel like I know anything anymore. She's so confusing! I don't know what to say around her anymore, or what to do, so now I just sit there like I'm thick or something. At least she probably thinks so by now. It used to be so easy to talk to her, but now...it's like I'm scared to really tell her anything. Like I'm scared she's going to run away from me or something.... I wonder what Harry would think of that...what would he think...what would everyone think...if they knew how much I cared about Hermione?'  
  
Harry put on his best gag face and placed the book back where he found it. He laughed to himself. "Boy Ron, you're whipped already and you haven't even had a first date..." he whispered to his sleeping friend. Now that he thought about it, everything Ron had written was true. He had been acting like a toad lately, and now Harry knew why. But then he wondered: did Hermione know? Did she suspect anything? He laid back down, glanced at Ron one last time, and smiled. "I'll help you out, Ron."  
  
Harry was up by the crack of dawn, which was surprising considering how late he had gone to sleep. He ran across the street to the flower shop and bought a dozen lilies. The card, he had made out to Hermione. The sender? Ron. He rushed back across the street, bouquet in hand, and up the stairs of the Three Broomsticks.  
  
"Alohamora," he whispered, unlocking Hermione's door. She was still sleeping, which was good, as he would have been dead had she been awake. He tiptoed across her bedroom, and set the flowers in a chair next to Hermione's bed where she was sure to see them when she woke up.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ron demanded. He had caught Harry tiptoeing through the halls with his wand drawn, and it seemed a bit odd.  
  
"Nothing. Thought I saw a rat," he shrugged. Luckily enough for him, Ron took the bait and followed him quietly down the stairs.  
  
Harry and Ron had already dressed and eaten before Harry heard any commotion coming from Hermione's room. She was finally awake. He could hear her walking around. She hadn't noticed the flowers yet, or she would have....  
  
"Ahh!" Hermione squealed. Ron ran up the stairs, followed closely by Harry. Harry somehow reached Hermione's door first, and creaked it open slowly.  
  
"What's wrong, Hermione?" he asked her.  
  
She was midway through reading the card that came with the flowers she was pointing to. "Ron! Thank you so much!" she smiled, as Ron came into the room completely dumbfounded. She wrapped him tightly in a hug. "You didn't have to buy me flowers...why did you buy me flowers?" she asked.  
  
"Err...you're welcome?" Ron squeaked. From in front of him, where Hermione could not see, Harry gave Ron a thumbs up.  
  
Hermione kicked the both of them out of the room several minutes later so that she could get dressed. She flopped on to her bed, and sighed deeply.  
  
"He gave me flowers. Ron gave me flowers." The thought brought the hugest of grins to her face. "Maybe he does like me?" she whispered to herself. Then, suddenly, as if someone had just slapped her out of reality, "What am I going to wear? I can't go outside looking like this! And Ron looking so nice today..." she ranted in the privacy of her own room.  
  
When she emerged from upstairs thirty or so minutes later, Harry smiled at Ron, and leaned in to whisper, "Looks pretty, doesn't she, Ron?" Ron nodded, and Harry smiled. "You don't have to thank me..." Harry made a decision that day. If Ron couldn't tell Hermione how he felt by himself, he was going to have to get some help...and Harry was definitely willing to help his two best friends.  
  
A/N: How do you like the first chapter? Read and Review please. Thanks! 


	2. Hermione's Dangerous Assignment

A/N: Thanks to anyone who has been reviewing my stories! Anyways...onward!!!  
  
Chapter Two  
  
"How did you...what in the...why did you..." Ron couldn't finish his sentences.  
  
Harry smiled. "You left your journal out last night. I couldn't help myself."  
  
"You're evil, Harry." Ron smiled. "Brilliant...but evil..." He paused. "Thanks Harry." He whispered. "At least that got us started out on the right foot."  
  
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Hermione had come into the room, and was curious as to the topic of the conversation. Harry could only grin. "Never mind. I believe we have a meeting to go to?"  
  
Harry knew where the meeting of the Order of the Phoenix was to be held. It was Sirius Black's old house. Sirius's house was like a safe haven compared to most places. It was invisible to the naked eye, and practically untraceable, making it a great secret meeting area for the secret Order. The trio could not apparate. The Ministry of Magic was watching the Floo network. It, too, was unsafe. Hermione cast a concealment charm, and they flew unnoticed to Number 12, Grimuald Place, London.  
  
"We're here!" Hermione announced. "Had to fly, though...bit unpleasant, actually. Nearly got hit by that plane...Harry thought it was funny..." Hermione huffed. Everyone, including Dumbledore, glared at her. "What? How else were we to get here? We were under a concealment charm. No one saw us!"  
  
"Try apparating." Mr. Weasley suggested.  
  
Ron groaned. "Dad! Honestly! We can't bloody well apparate here! As far as the rest of the world is concerned, this place doesn't exist, remember? We'd end up in some Muggle's bathroom in Number Eleven or something,"  
  
"The boy has his point," Professor Lupin grinned. "You do pay attention, don't you, Ron?"  
  
Hermione smiled. "He's much smarter than he gives himself credit for," she whispered.  
  
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Anyways, on with the meeting." He said sternly. Suddenly every face in the room was serious and attentive. "We have reason to believe that Voldemort may be hiding somewhere in France. Death Eater attacks have been increasing in that area, as well as in Scotland, and here in London. Professor Snape has even reported that there have been Death Eaters recruiting people as young as Ms. Granger, here..." Dumbledore paused a moment.  
  
"How are we supposed to know what to do about school?" Harry demanded. "From what you've just told me, I could be killed in my sleep. No offense, sir, but that kind of sucks."  
  
"Exactly." Lupin nodded. "That's why we're putting someone in as a spy. We need someone who will be able to report back to Dumbledore, but who can also stay cool under pressure..."  
  
"Fred and I will go!" George volunteered. "After all, that whole troll thing didn't check out last time...it all ended up to be rather boring."  
  
"We can't put the two of you out there. If you think back to Italy, please. The Malfoys have seen your face." Snapped an annoyed Snape. "Besides, it would be easier if it was one of those three, as they are still at Hogwarts, and would be able to reach Dumbledore easily..." He was pointing to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  
  
Lupin blinked. "Not Harry, of course! They're after him."  
  
"So that leaves Weasley... and Granger." Snape groaned.  
  
"Ms. Granger, would you be able to take on the assignment?" Dumbledore asked. He turned to Ron. "I would ask you, but I'm afraid that the Death Eaters are far too...aware of your family as it is."  
  
"I'll do it." Hermione whispered.  
  
"No!" screamed Ron. He turned red. "Hermione, you could be killed." He whispered to her. "And you'd miss loads of school..."  
  
"I know that," Hermione frowned. "But we can't very well have Harry do it, and you heard what Dumbledore said," she sighed. "I don't mind. Really. And if all goes well, I should still be at school. After all, I'll be playing double agent for them, won't I?"  
  
Snape smiled, and Harry cringed. "It will be rather marvelous. Imagine their shock when, first, Harry Potter's best friend turns bad...then try to imagine the looks on their faces once we've thrown them in Azkaban. It will be classic..."  
  
Harry had to admit that Snape had a point. It would all be amusing. Ron, sitting directly opposite Harry, didn't seem to be thinking the same thing. He was frowning so deeply that his brow had furrowed, and glaring at Dumbledore as if he were the source of all his problems. Hermione didn't look happy either. Both of them left the table almost immediately after the meeting was adjourned. Harry made to follow them, but Dumbledore stopped him in his tracks.  
  
"Harry, there is something that I must discuss with you concerning Sirius's death and yourself..." Dumbledore whispered, and Harry immediately looked away. "Sirius had a will, Harry..."  
  
"What?" Harry turned around in surprise. "Dumbledore, sir...he died nearly two years ago. Why are you just telling me this now? Besides, I should really go...Ron and Hermione are kind of..."  
  
Dumbledore shook his head. "Don't worry about them at the moment. I didn't tell you, Harry, because you weren't old enough to benefit from it. As of your graduation at the end of this school year, you will inherit all of Sirius Black's estates...."  
  
Harry nearly choked. "What? His estates? As in plural?" Harry whistled.  
  
"Yes, Harry. Sirius didn't want anyone to know it, but the Black family...his family was very wealthy, Harry. He and your father are actually cousins. Your father was Godric Gryffindor's heir. Sirius left you with his estates, but you have also inherited estates from your father's relatives, and a rather large sum of money, if I do say so myself. None of it is concrete until you graduate..."  
  
Harry nodded. "And this is what you wanted to tell me?" When Dumbledore nodded, Harry continued. "That's great, Professor. Now if I could just find Ron and Hermione..."  
  
Dumbledore laughed. "You reminded me of Sirius in his seventh year, just then. He and Lupin were trying to play matchmaker for Lily and James. It was interesting, really. Some of the stunts they pulled, I mean. And in the end, Lily and James ended up doing things all on their own. Sirius was so proud..."  
  
Harry frowned. He didn't mean to be rude, but the subjects of Sirius, his father, and his mother...they were sore to him. Hearing Dumbledore recount so much was like stabbing Harry in his heart. After all, so many other people spent so much time with them, and he still felt as if he had been robbed of them before his time.  
  
Ron sat brooding in a study nearby to the kitchen. How could Dumbledore let Hermione do something like that? How could he even suggest it? He, of all people, had to know how dangerous it was. And what would happen if Hermione was hurt? Stop thinking like that, he told himself over and over. "Hermione, I wish I could go with you," he whispered out loud, even though the room was empty. "Please be safe. Please come back to me..."  
  
Hermione had retreated up the stairs after the meeting. She was sitting on a large four-poster bed. Above this was a rather large portrait of Sirius. She smiled at him. "I must be nuts, huh?" she said to the portrait. He nodded. "I best be careful. When this is all over, I really need to have a talk with Ron. Yes, a talk. How's that sound?"  
  
"Yes, dear," the picture of Sirius smiled at her. "You really should talk to him, you know? You can't love a person that much and not tell them..."  
  
"How would you know?" Hermione groaned.  
  
Sirius's portrait smiled again. "Trust me, I know."  
  
Harry's next order of business as matchmaker was to find some way to remedy the gigantic mess that Dumbledore had just unknowingly created. Hermione was going to be playing double agent for the Order. She could be killed. Harry knew that. His first order of business, then, was making sure that she survived long enough to help Ron come to his senses. How he was going to do this, he had no idea.  
  
It was then that a terrible thought struck him. What if he and Ron had to fight Hermione? After all, she was supposed to be posing as some sort of junior-death-eater-in-training, wasn't she? This would definitely make his job a little bit more complicated.  
  
"What am I supposed to do?" he groaned.  
  
"You're thinking far too hard, you know..." It was Professor Lupin. He had emerged out of a corner near the south end of the room. "I understand what you're trying to do. Sirius and I had quite a time trying to set your parents up. You want some pointers?"  
  
Harry blinked. "Pointers? Okay, tell me!" he smiled enthusiastically.  
  
"Girls like surprises. You should keep that going. The flower thing was a nice touch..." He grinned.  
  
"Wait...how did you..." Harry stammered.  
  
Lupin shrugged. "Ron told me."  
  
"So what do I do?" Harry asked.  
  
Lupin grinned. "Get with Ron...I'm sure he has a lot of ideas. Believe it or not, he'll want to help you. You need something on a big scale, anyway. Something that will surprise her, but don't make it too...odd. She is muggle-born, after all, and if you do that, she may back down a bit..."  
  
"Wait...so let me get this straight...I need to help Ron surprise her?" Lupin nodded. "But not surprise her too much?" His brow furrowed as Lupin nodded again.  
  
"Aren't women complicated? Your mother was a real hard nut to crack. Hermione reminds me of her a little bit..." Lupin laughed.  
  
Harry frowned. "Thanks." He groaned.  
  
Soon after Professor Lupin had his talk with Harry, his seventh year at Hogwarts finally began. Unfortunately enough for Ron, this meant that Hermione's assignment was also to begin soon. Harry and Ron sat with Hermione on the Hogwarts Express, but were confused to see that she wasn't at the Sorting Ceremony when they got off the train. Dumbledore, Harry noticed, was also curiously absent from this semi-sacred event. In his place sat Professor McGonnagal, Hogwarts' Deputy Headmistress. She shot a glance at Ron and Harry before beginning her speech.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" she smiled. "Now that the Sorting has ended, there are several things we must go over before you are dismissed to your houses..."  
  
At that point, neither Harry nor Ron was listening to McGonnagal anymore. They were paying closer attention to the entrance of the Great Hall. Hermione Granger had just slipped into the room. She took her seat across from Ron and Harry at the Gryffindor table and stared forward.  
  
"Hey 'Mione..." Ron whispered, but Harry elbowed him.  
  
"Not here!" he warned. "We have no clue who could be watching!"  
  
Ron blinked. "I was just going to ask her why she was late. She sat right across from us on the train..." Ron was the first to excuse himself when McGonnagal's speech was through.  
  
Harry watched Hermione leave the Great Hall. He knew, as well as Ron, where she must have been. It had something to do with Dumbledore, who had also been absent, and of course, everything to do with her new 'assignment'. He sighed. He was nearly the last Gryffindor to leave the Great Hall. Getting Ron and Hermione together may prove to be much harder than he had thought it would be. He could only wonder as to how much Hermione's new assignment was going to hinder his progress...  
  
A/N: How do you like it? I know the end of this chapter could have been a little better, but I didn't want to spoil too much for the future...so I kind of left it as it was....chapter three up as soon as possible! 


	3. Hermione with Malfoy

AN: Hey all! I know I am usually pretty quick with the updates, but hey...Oh, someone was wondering what Harry was planning? I'm not sure if the plan will come out in this chapter, but if not, you'll most certainly learn more about it in the next chapter. Enjoy! Please R and R!  
  
Chapter Three  
  
"So you do have some ideas?" Harry smiled at Ron. He was curled up in a large velvet armchair near the window in the Gryffindor common room. "That's sure to get her to notice you all right..."  
  
"It's not that she doesn't notice me Harry. She's been our best friend for seven years! It's just that...I've never told her how I feel, you know?"  
  
Harry grinned. "We'll just have to find a really neat way to tell her how you feel then!"  
  
"Tell whom how Ron feels?" they looked up. Hermione, looking rather tired, had just walked in through the portrait hole.  
  
Harry laughed. "No one. Just a girl Ron likes."  
  
Hermione smiled. "Ron, that's so cute." I'll strangle her, she thought, but instead said, "Is there anything I can do to help you out?"  
  
Ron blushed. "No!" he nearly yelled. "What I mean is, you've already got so much to handle as it is...you shouldn't trouble yourself with worrying about my problems...I'll be all right. I've got some ideas..."  
  
"All right...but it would probably do you good to get a woman's opinion in the matter, you know? Women know best, especially in this department."  
  
Harry nodded. "We'll talk to Ginny about it. She should be able to help us out. Don't worry Hermione."  
  
Hermione yawned. "All right. Well, I'll be off to bed now. So tired..." she frowned.  
  
Harry and Ron watched her ascend the stairs to her Head Girl dormitory. They only resumed talking after they heard the click of her door. Her footsteps could be heard above their heads for nearly an hour afterwards...  
  
"This is all so grand. I knew one of them would come around soon. It's just almost too bad that it was that mud-blood Granger." Malfoy growled.  
  
"But I thought you said you thought she was pretty..." Goyle scratched his head.  
  
Malfoy laughed. "That has nothing to do with anything, my friend. Don't you see? She is one of his closest friends. It's so perfect. My father wants to meet with her when we go to Hogsmeade this weekend."  
  
"Wasn't she like...part of the reason he was arrested?"  
  
"Yes, but I'm sure that's not relevant right now. He's got a plan...and Granger would be perfect."  
  
"What is it?" Goyle asked.  
  
Ron was up late that night. He couldn't hear any activity around him. Everyone was asleep in their dorms, except for him, of course. He tapped his fingers on the arm of the velvet chair he was sitting in. He had to tell her soon, he thought, or he would most certainly burst. The only problem, as Harry had pointed out, was exactly how to tell her. He had to find the right way. He began to think of the things he'd seen Hermione do on a regular basis. Hmm...go to class, read...go to class, read...he didn't have many options. Then it hit him. He ran up to his room, grabbed some parchment, and began to write. Tomorrow, he would send it off...straight to the Daily Prophet....  
  
"You did WHAT?! And sent it WHERE? ARE YOU MAD?!" Harry nearly died when Ron told him what he had done.  
  
Ron shrugged. "Think about it, Harry. What does Hermione do besides go to class and read?"  
  
Harry scratched his head, and Ron smiled. "You can owl me when you've come up with something legitimate." He smirked. "Are you coming? It's a Hogsmeade weekend. Quit staring at me like that!" he demanded.  
  
"Ron, it's Hermione!" Harry whispered as they passed Honeydukes. "She's heading into the pub with Malfoy and Goyle. I wonder what they are doing?" he asked out loud.  
"Sh!" Ron warned. "They could hear us...or worse! See us!" He worried. "Besides, isn't part of this whole thing supposed to be that we're not to really know what's going on?"  
  
"Of all people, I thought you would be a little more worried about this," frowned Harry. "What happened?"  
  
Ron sighed. "I feel better now that I've sent that letter, I guess..." he frowned as the realization that Hermione was going somewhere alone with Malfoy hit him. "But maybe we ought to keep watch just in case, you know..." he added.  
  
"Ms. Granger, we meet again," it was Lucius Malfoy who spoke to her from under the cloak. "Interesting, isn't it, how things work themselves out?" he laughed to himself a moment. "Listen, Ms. Granger, I've got a job for you..." he whispered.  
  
"Wha...what is it?" she asked.  
  
Lucius Malfoy chuckled. "It's for me to know, and you to never find out. Good day, Ms. Granger." Lucius Malfoy's wand came out from under his robes. Hermione could only utter a small gasp before a yellow beam of light from his wand struck her in her stomach.  
  
Ron and Harry panicked as they watched Malfoy, Goyle, and a taller cloaked man leave the pub. Hermione was not with them. Ron ran into the pub, his eyes searching frantically for anything that could tell him where Hermione might be. Then he saw her. In a dark corner of the pub, Hermione lay unconscious on the ground. Harry ran to her, and he and Ron carefully carried her from the pub, and, under his father's invisibility cloak, safely back to Hogwarts.  
  
"Were you able to see what kind of curse it was that hit her?" whispered Dumbledore.  
  
Harry and Ron shook their heads. "No, sir. We found her like this and brought her straight back here to you. Will she be all right?"  
  
"That remains to be seen, Harry. She will have to stay in the hospital wing for a few days for observation. Until we figure this out, I'm not sure what to tell you. I'm sorry. Madam Pomfrey and I will do our best..."  
  
Ron frowned deeply and reluctantly followed Harry from the room. On her bedside table, Ron left a bouquet of flowers, and a very special copy of the Daily Prophet....when she woke up, she was sure to see it...he only hoped that she would be able to wake up in the first place....  
  
A/N: So, I did tell you a little bit, didn't I? Sorry for the shortness of this chapter...I have been swamped with things to do! 


	4. Ron's Plan Delayed

A/N: Been a while, hasn't it? Sorry. Busy...oh well...sorry to keep you guys hanging! Here's chapter four! Hope you like it.  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Harry scribbled a letter to Lupin as fast as his quill would permit him to write. When he was finished, he surveyed his letter.  
  
'Dear Professor...I mean, Remus, Ron is going to have a stroke. Hermione is still in the hospital wing, and I think he may blame himself for not running in and clobbering Malfoy when he had the chance. I trust you know what happened already? Anyway, Ron has been going to the infirmary every day and just sitting there with her. I think he was worried something like this might happen...can't even tell you if your suggestion about surprising her worked or not...she's been out for a week. I'll put a copy of the Daily Prophet in here for you to see. Mind you, it's nearly a week and a half old now, but it was all Ron's idea...Do you have any idea how to help her? I don't know what to tell Ron anymore, and Dumbledore seems to be stumped. I wish there was something more I could do to help. I'll write again soon when there's more to update you on. -Harry  
  
He frowned. The letter seemed kind of jumpy, but at least he had managed to say all that he had wanted to say, right? He sighed and attached a copy of last Wednesday's Daily Prophet to the letter. He had used his wand to make a certain article in the paper glow....  
  
Harry found Ron where he usually was when the two of them weren't in class together...the infirmary. The flowers at Hermione's bedside had begun to wilt. Harry waved his wand, and they stood up straighter. Ron smiled at him, sighed deeply, and stared at Hermione.  
  
"Come on, Hermione. Come back to us. I don't know what happened, but I clocked Malfoy one, just for you..." Ron was talking more to himself than to anyone else. "Got a month's worth of detention for doing it, but oh well..." he laughed.  
  
Harry jumped. He had seen Hermione's eyes flicker...or at least he thought he had. He concentrated on her, staring hard to watch for any signs of movement. There it was, again! He grabbed hold of Ron's shoulder, shaking him almost violently.  
  
"Look!" he yelled. "She moved! She did! I saw it!" he exclaimed.  
  
Hermione's eyes were open now. Ron wrapped her tightly in a hug. She didn't seem to know what was going on, but she seemed glad to be back. There seemed to be nothing wrong with her....  
  
Remus Lupin smiled as he unclipped the Daily Prophet from Harry's letter. It wasn't hard to find the article Harry was talking about, as he had obviously put a popping charm on it. It seemed to jump off the page with large glowing letters.  
  
TO HERMIONE, WITH LOVE  
A Daily Prophet Special Request  
  
Daily Prophet reporters were shocked yesterday to have a psychotic post owl fly in through the editing room window. What was more interesting was the letter the small owl had attached to his leg. Ron Weasley, currently in his seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, sent the owl to the Prophet hoping we would publish the letter, which happens to be addressed to a love interest of his, also in her seventh year at Hogwarts. Prophet reporters could not resist. We can only hope the young girl gets the message...  
  
Dear Hermione,  
  
Figured this was the only way to catch your attention, and there has been something on my mind for a long time now that I just have to tell you. It's you, Hermione. I've liked you for a long time, and I just had to tell you, or I thought I would burst. I think I love you Hermione. I guess if I think about it, I always have. You make me feel different...like I can take on anything, just because you're there. I've never felt like that before, and it feels great. I wasn't sure if you knew how much I cared about you...I've had nothing else on my mind for a while now. I wanted to find the perfect way to tell you how I felt, and I figured this would work. Besides, I'm not very good at the whole romance thing...I tried to think of something that would really sweep you off your feet, but I came up empty handed...  
  
I don't know what else to say, 'Mione. I think I've said all I wanted to say. I love you, I always have, and I just hope that you get this message. I don't know how you feel, but now, at least you know how I feel.  
  
With Love, Ron  
  
Remus couldn't help but get a warm fuzzy after reading about how Ron poured his soul out in a letter to Hermione. Had she even had the chance to read it? He hoped so. Ron had outdone himself with this. He frowned as he thought back to the letter that Harry had wrote to him. His brow furrowed even further as he thought about Hermione's assignment. This new revelation was going to put a rift in her plans, but then, there was also the thought about how the Death Eaters could use the information. Ron had just voluntarily painted a big red target onto his head. And what was Hermione to do if Ron was suddenly a piece of Death Eater leverage? He shuddered to think about it. Making a quick decision, he headed for King's Cross station, and took the earliest train he could find to Hogwarts.  
  
"Hermione, are you all right? You've been out for over a week! Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey have been completely stumped!" Harry gasped.  
  
"I feel fine," Hermione shrugged.  
  
Ron frowned. "Hermione, you were hit with some kind of curse. Dumbledore can't even identify it. He's been standing at the foot of your bed for a week, scratching his head and going 'Hmm...', like this..." Ron did an imitation.  
  
Hermione laughed. "But I feel fine!" she insisted again.  
  
"I'm not so sure, Ms. Granger..." Dumbledore had a way of scaring the daylights out of people with his sudden appearances. Both Harry and Ron nearly jumped from their seats when he spoke. "Maybe it would be best of you continued to take it easy for a while?" he suggested.  
  
Hermione wrinkled her nose. "But sir, I've already missed over a week of school. Look, even this Daily Prophet issue is a week old," she pointed.  
  
"That's a special issue of the Prophet." Harry explained. "We decided to save it for you. I think you'll find it's full of interesting things...even I've read it from cover to cover." Harry winked at Ron. Hermione was becoming more interested by the moment.  
  
She looked up at Dumbledore, blinked several times, and yawned. "Trust me, sir. I'm fine. A little tired maybe, but all right. Can't I just have Harry and Ron walk with me back to the dormitories?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," he nodded, "but..."  
  
"I know. I'll come straight back if I find I'm missing a toe or something." She promised.  
  
He laughed to himself. "That wasn't exactly what I was going to say, but it's a good idea, nonetheless. I'd like to talk to you alone before you head back to your dormitory," he whispered to her.  
  
After Hermione's short meeting with Professor Dumbledore (a meeting, mind you, in which Harry and Ron were not allowed to participate) the two led Hermione up to the Gryffindor common room, and up the stairs to her Head Girl dormitory. Harry made sure Hermione brought the week-old Daily Prophet with her. When she finally closed her door, Harry made his way to his Head Boy dormitory, and Ron made his way to his dormitory. The night was uneventful, but for Hermione's yelp when she read Ron's article. After that, she went to sleep.  
  
Ron and Harry waited outside Hermione's dormitory the next morning for nearly half an hour before they deduced that she couldn't possibly still be there. They made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. She wasn't to be found there either, but someone else was. Remus Lupin was again sitting among the teachers, and, Harry noticed, Snape was absent once again.  
  
"Hello, Harry." Remus smiled. "The title of Professor has been temporarily reinstated to me. I'm taking Professor Snape's place for a while."  
  
"Have you seen Hermione?" Ron asked him.  
  
Remus rubbed his temples. "No, come to think of it, I haven't. Albus..." there was a note of worry in Lupin's voice.  
  
He didn't have to worry for long. Nearly the entire Great Hall was silent as a loud scream erupted through the room. There was pounding on the door behind the teacher's table. Hagrid and Lupin ran to open it, and Hermione spilled out. Her face was blanketed in tears.  
  
This time, Ron and Harry were permitted to sit in on the discussion when Hermione was taken to Dumbledore's office. Several other Order members followed the group.  
  
Hermione took a seat in-between Ron and Harry. She grabbed Ron's hand and squeezed it tightly. Choking back several sobs, she was finally able to look up and stare Dumbledore straight in his eyes.  
  
"What happened, Hermione?" it was actually Lupin who had asked the question, but it was clear that everyone wanted the answer.  
  
"I don't know," she whispered. "I remember last night, Harry and Ron led me back to my dormitory. I remember I went to sleep there. I had awful nightmares...about my parents, Harry...Ron..." she paused a moment, squeezing Ron's hand once more.  
  
"Yes, Hermione, but how did you end up in the dungeons?" Dumbledore asked calmly.  
  
Hermione nearly cried. "I don't know!" She paused again. "I remember having those horrible nightmares, and when I woke up, I was locked in the dungeon...I had an athame in my hands...look at my arm..." she pulled up the sleeves on her robes.  
  
There was a collective gasp from the entire group. The mark on Hermione's arm was similar to the Dark Mark found on Voldemort's Death Eaters...but there was a difference. Hermione's mark looked as if it had been carved into her skin with a sharp knife. It was still bleeding, even as they all stared at it....  
  
"Did I do this to myself?" she cried. "What the heck is going on?"  
  
Ron gulped. He was three shades paler than his normal shade of ghost- white. "Hermione, does it...hurt? It looks so deep..."  
  
"Dumbledore, what do I do? I can't just quit on this assignment. I need some help..." she admitted under her breath.  
  
Professor Dumbledore glanced around the room at the various teachers assembled there. He frowned deeply, and called all of them into a huddle. Ron, Harry, and Hermione could not hear what they were discussing. They returned several minutes later.  
  
"Hermione, you're going to get your help." Dumbledore promised her. He turned to Harry and Ron. "Harry, Ron, there is something I want you two to do. No one else must know, do you understand? It would compromise your safety, and it would compromise Hermione's safety..."  
  
Harry nodded. "Yes, sir...but what do you want us to do?" he asked rather impatiently  
  
"After Hermione has gone to her dorm every night, I want the two of you to follow her. You can use your father's invisibility cloak to get from your own dorms to hers without being noticed..." he paused a moment, "The two of you are to stay in Hermione's dorm if you have to. Put an impenetrable charm on the door. This will keep her from getting out of her room. And if anything funny happens, you do what you have to do. It is clear that whatever happened to Hermione has somehow had an odd effect on her subconscious. I doubt she would carve things into her arm with a sharp knife on any regular day..." he added.  
  
"What do you mean, do what you have to do?" Ron nearly choked.  
  
Hermione frowned. "You and I both know what that means, Ron." She whispered.  
  
"I know I know what it means!" he growled. "I don't like it is what I'm saying!"  
  
"Ron, what kind of a choice would we have?" Harry asked rationally. "We need to protect ourselves, and we need to protect Hermione...even if that means protecting her from herself."  
  
Hermione sighed. "I didn't go into this thinking it would be easy, Ron. I'm prepared for what might happen now. You just do what you need to do, all right?" she wrapped him in a hug.  
  
Lupin frowned deeply. "We've been in here quite a while. We don't need to be attracting any more attention than necessary. I suggest we disperse our little group and get on with the day. Good luck to the three of you," he smiled, and promptly exited Dumbledore's office.  
  
Ron, Hermione, and Harry had missed their Transfiguration lesson for the morning. McGonnagal, of course, knew of the reason for their absence. She had been in the room with them and the various other Order members. They headed to their next class, Double Potions. Lupin had reached the classroom before they had, of course. They took their seats near the back of the room, far away from Malfoy and the rest of his Slytherin buddies.  
  
Hermione pretended to be paying attention to the lesson. Ron, however, could tell how worried she was. She had nearly squeezed the life out of his hand by the time Professor Lupin dismissed the class for the day.  
  
A/N: Do ya like it? I know I haven't revealed everything you guys are probably wondering about yet, but I promise, I'm getting there. Read and Review please! 


	5. Hermione Tells of Tragedy

A/N: Thanks to everyone who had reviewed this story. I'm so glad I've been getting such positive feedback...I wasn't expecting such a response with this story. Well, anyway, here is Chapter five, and I hope you like it as much as you all seemed to like the other parts of the story.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Harry and Ron found Hermione sitting alone in the common room. Piles of books, pieces of parchment, and several empty potion vials surrounded her. They took their seats next to her, and tried unsuccessfully to look uninterested in whatever it was that she was doing.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ron sighed.  
  
Hermione shrugged. "Just some research..."  
  
"Can we help?" Harry asked politely.  
  
"I couldn't let you do that. This isn't for any class we have." She whispered.  
  
Ron looked over her shoulder. "Truth serums...Hermione, that is not a good idea. Those things spell trouble. Big trouble. They're too dangerous..."  
  
"Not for me, Ron. But it does have something to do with..." her voice trailed off.  
  
"But Hermione, what if they have you make the stupid stuff, and then they use it on you? Do you have any idea how bad that would be? I don't even want to think about it." He shivered.  
  
"Then don't." They could tell by Hermione's expression that she hadn't meant to snap. She cast her eyes down at the floor. "I just don't want you guys any more involved than is absolutely necessary. I don't want to have to think about the possibility of anyone else getting hurt..."  
  
Ron wrapped her in a hug. "Don't worry, 'Mione..." he whispered. "We'll be careful. We promise. But we don't want anything else to happen to you..."  
  
"It's late..." Harry yawned. "Why don't we call it a night? Hermione can finish her homework this weekend. Besides, Ron...we have a Quiddich match in the morning, don't we?"  
  
"You're right." He frowned. "Come on, Hermione..."  
  
The two of them walked Hermione to her dorm, closed the door behind her, and went to retrieve Harry's father's invisibility cloak. Finally undercover, they snuck from Harry's dorm down the hall to Hermione's. When they got inside, she was sitting cross-legged on her four-poster bed, and her cat Crookshanks was nestled comfortably on her pillow.  
  
"Hey, Hermione, you should get some sleep, you know." Ron yawned. "I'll just move that great oaf cat of yours, and you just lay down, all right? Harry and I will be fine. We'll make sure nothing bad happens, okay?"  
  
Hermione nodded. "I'll see you guys in the morning. Don't forget to put the charm on the door, please..." she whispered as she drifted off into sleep.  
  
That first night, Ron and Harry took shifts, so that at least one of them was awake at all times. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Hermione seemed to sleep peacefully through the night. Harry or Ron noticed that she would twitch or kick occasionally in her sleep, but they found this to be no cause for alarm. The only disturbance that night was Hermione's cat Crookshanks. He had jumped down off of Hermione's dresser and straight onto Ron's unsuspecting head. Ron made quite a commotion, but still, Hermione did not stir. The next morning, the three of them entered the Great Hall together.  
  
Much to Ron's disgust, half way through their orange juice, Malfoy came up to the Gryffindor table. He tapped his foot impatiently and glared at Hermione, who was gingerly picking at a blueberry muffin. She glanced up at him once or twice, but didn't really acknowledge him until she had finished eating. Harry and Ron watched the two exit the Great Hall and head outside. Several of the teachers also had their eye on the pair as they left.  
  
"I'm not done with it yet, you great stupid git." Hermione hissed. "It takes time, you know...excuse me, you wouldn't. You've never made truth serum before, have you? Leave me be. When I'm done with it, I'll be the one to let you know."  
  
Malfoy was red in the face, but he nodded anyway. "Good."  
  
"What's it for, anyway?" Hermione asked. "I mean, it just seems like so much..."  
  
"Maybe one day you can find out." He smirked. "The next time we have a Hogsmeade Weekend, my father and the LeStranges are going to meet us at the inn. I hope you have everything ready by then," he growled.  
  
Hermione wanted to say she would rather choke, that she wanted to go to Honeydukes with Ron, that Harry had asked her to help him with homework...anything to get out of a possibly compromising situation. Instead, she nodded. "All right."  
  
The Hogsmeade weekend came quicker than was expected. Hermione had finished the task for the Death Eaters. Dumbledore, of course, knew what they had asked her to make. She had told him every small detail. His only concern: why have a seventh year Hogwarts student do what any Death Eater could do himself? This question never would get answered. There was another reason Hermione had been invited to the inn, and it had nothing to do with truth serums.  
  
"Look at this!" Lucius Malfoy hissed from beneath his cloak as he threw an issue of the Daily Prophet across the table. "Looks like trouble, if you ask me."  
  
Hermione cringed as she read the article. It was titled. 'Ministry of Magic Employee Arthur Weasley Captures Illusive Death Eater in Muggle Home'. Hermione frowned. Surely Ron knew what his father had been doing? Why hadn't he told her what had happened? Why did she have to be put into this situation?  
  
"The whole lot of them are bad news for us, father." Draco was saying. "There's so many of them...it's like there's one on every continent. Mr. Weasley's son Charlie caught one of our people trying to smuggle a dragon out of a colony just last month..."  
  
Hermione was silent. She didn't like the direction in which the conversation was turning. She had to listen more. She needed the information to pass to Dumbledore. But she wanted so much to block it out...She wondered, how was it even possible for them to be having such a conversation in the middle of an inn in Hogsmeade? She looked around, but saw no one. She wanted so much to get far away from this place....  
  
Mr. Lestrange laughed. "The Dark Lord is sending some of us out to handle them, tomorrow, Lucius. You should come along. We'd get a good laugh out of it, wouldn't we?"  
  
"Yeah." Draco smiled. "And one of us can get rid of..."  
  
"I'll do it..." Hermione jumped before he could finish his sentence. She was lying, of course, but she didn't even want to hear any more of this. She had to get to Dumbledore straight away. She needed a reason...  
  
"Draco, it's getting late. We're supposed to be back at the castle in less than five minutes. We need to hurry." She gasped.  
  
Dumbledore did not speak the entire time Hermione was telling him of her day. He only nodded, or occasionally, would rub his beard and go, "Hmm...". It took Hermione nearly half an hour to tell him everything.  
  
Dumbledore sighed. "Oh good. Ron is here."  
  
"What?" Hermione gasped. "Professor Dumbledore, I can't tell it again. We have to stop them. We can't let it happen. I don't care what they do...but they can't..." Hermione ran out of words.  
  
"Can't let what happen? They can't do what? Who is 'they', Hermione?" asked Ron in a concerned manner.  
  
Hermione took a deep breath. "Ron...your father made the news by capturing that Death Eater...they're...he...Voldemort is sending people to your house tomorrow. Your family has been marked. Draco was going to..." Hermione began to sob. "They expect me to kill you! Draco was going to...but I couldn't let him...you have to hide...." Hermione was gasping for breath now. "Dumbledore, send someone, please!" she pleaded.  
  
Ron sunk into a chair across from Dumbledore's desk. Harry could only stare.  
  
"Marked...They're sending people to my house..." Ron was slowly letting everything sink in. "My parents! Dumbledore, someone has to help my parents!" he screamed.  
  
Dumbledore sighed. "Ron, I understand how you feel. Arthur and Molly both know their predicament. We can send people from the Order to the Burrow tomorrow...we must figure out what to do about you and Ginny. Word of this has already traveled to your brothers..." Dumbledore was obviously thinking out loud. "The impenetrable charm is still on Hermione's door?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, but what has that got to do with Ron's family?" snapped Harry.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "The charm on the door will prevent it from being opened in most cases...Ron and Ginny should be fine as long as they stay behind that door at night. The teachers will be escorting students to and from classes, so there shouldn't be a problem there...and I still need the two of you to keep an eye on Hermione..." he added.  
  
Ron and Harry nodded, and retreated with Hermione back to their common room under the invisibility cloak. This time, when they shut Hermione's bedroom door, Ginny went with them. She was unaware of what was going on.  
  
Ron was on his shift watching Hermione sleep when something odd happened. Hermione began to talk in her sleep. It was as if she were having a conversation, although Ron could not hear the person she was speaking to. He shook Harry awake.  
  
"Harry! It's Hermione...she's talking to someone..."  
  
"Ron, have you gone mad? It's two in the morning. I'm..." but Harry suddenly lost all ability to speak. Hermione had begun to rise up out of bed. She had her wand at the ready....  
  
"She wouldn't attack us, would she?" Ron whispered to Harry.  
  
"Ron, that's not Hermione. It looks like her, but it's not." Harry frowned in reply.  
  
Hermione raised her wand. She was pointing it right at Ron's head. "Adavara..." she began. Ron gasped. It was as if he couldn't move. He didn't raise his wand. He was frozen with fear.  
  
"STUPEFY!" screamed Harry. Hermione's wand flew out of her hands as she flew backwards. She knocked her head on one of the posts on her bed. She was out cold.  
  
Ron finally breathed. "What the bloody hell just happened? Did she just try to..." he worried. "Harry...she's hit her head. We should take her to the infirmary. I can't believe she just tried to... " Ron paused.  
  
"Yes, Ron, she did." Harry sighed. "Wake your sister. We'll need to take her with us to the infirmary. Not safe to leave her here by herself after what just happened."  
  
Ron, Harry, and Ginny were in the infirmary watching Hermione sleep when Dumbledore came in. He smiled at them, but it looked as if something was wrong.  
  
"I can guess what happened," he whispered.  
  
Harry nodded. "We knocked her out cold, sir...but Madam Pomfrey says she'll be fine by tomorrow. I hope she doesn't remember any of this..."  
  
"I have news for you," Dumbledore frowned. "There's been an accident."  
  
Ron paled. "What kind of accident?"  
  
"Tonight, when Hermione tried to kill you, she was probably channeling Voldemort..." Ron cringed at the mentioning of his name, but Dumbledore continued. "I don't know how else to say this, Ron...Ginny. The Burrow was attacked tonight. I received the news about five minutes ago...right after I learned what nearly happened to you..."  
  
"The Burrow was attacked?" Harry choked.  
  
Ron shook his head. "What happened, Dumbledore? Are they all right? Where are my parents?" he screamed. Ginny didn't even reach that point. She had already started to cry.  
  
"Ron, your father is in critical condition right now at St. Mongo's. They are hoping he'll make a full recovery soon, but the truth is, he has a long way to go..." Dumbledore sighed.  
  
"What about my mum?" demanded Ginny. "Is she all right?"  
  
Dumbledore removed his half moon spectacles, and polished them with his beard. Again, he sighed, and sat down in an empty bed next to Hermione.  
  
"Dumbledore?" Ron's voice was about to crack.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Ron...Ginny. The Order didn't get there in time. Your mother was killed in the ambush. It was Lucius Malfoy...we weren't able to catch him...but hopefully when Hermione wakes up, maybe she'll know where we can find him...and we can put an end to all of this. I'm so sorry..." he repeated.  
  
Harry couldn't think. His abilities to speak, and even blink, seemed to have left him. Lucius Malfoy had killed his best friend's mother. Harry cringed as he remembered his frequent nightmares about his parents' deaths. He could see Ron holding Ginny tightly. Both seemed to be inconsolable. Ginny sobbed for what seemed like hours in Ron's arms. Harry didn't know what to do. Of course, he knew how they must have felt...but he was at a loss as to what to say. After all, what would you say at a time like this? He fell into the nearest chair, rubbing his temples, and watching Ron and Ginny. Meanwhile, Hermione slept on. She had known what was going to happen. She had warned them...but something had changed. She would have to find out the terrible night's events in the morning. Harry wondered how much more of this his friends, he, could take before something really bad happened....  
  
AN: Kinda cliff hung it didn't I? Sorry! Read and Review! 


	6. Near Death Experiences

A/N: Here's chapter six! Read and review please!  
  
Chapter Six  
  
"You tried to kill me, Hermione!" Ron screamed across the room.  
  
Hermione was close to tears. "Ron, I swear I didn't...I would never...it wasn't me!" she yelled back.  
  
"Ron, stop!" Harry stood in-between the two of them. "Hermione didn't do it. It wasn't her. Even Dumbledore says she was possessed. She couldn't have helped it even if she wanted to..."  
  
Ron's mouth hung open. "But I...she...my mum..." Ron sunk into a chair in the common room.  
  
"She didn't have anything to do with that, either. She tried to warn us, but they one-upped us, Ron. There was nothing we could have done. We didn't know..." Harry sympathized, "I'm sorry, Ron..."  
  
"My mum is gone...I just went to her funeral...she's gone..." Ron whispered to himself. Hermione slowly walked over to him, and wrapped him in a hug. "I wasn't there, and now my mum is gone. I should've been there..."  
  
Harry frowned. "Don't blame yourself, Ron. Ginny doesn't blame herself. It was nobody's fault, except," but Harry was interrupted by Ron's angry sobs.  
  
"Lucius Malfoy murdered my mum, Harry. It's his fault. One day, I'm going to kill that son-of-a-..."  
  
Hermione flinched. "Ron, that's not for us to worry about. The Order is hunting Lucius Malfoy down as we speak. They'll make sure he never hurts another person again, Ron. You just watch and see."  
  
"That's not good enough, damn it!" screamed Ron.  
  
Classes at Hogwarts went on as usual. Everyone knew what had happened to Ron's parents. His father was still in the hospital. He wasn't even able to attend his mother's funeral. Yet, this didn't mean less homework. This night, Ron could be found hiding in Hermione's room with several books thrown every which way across her bed. He had two to three potion vials in front of him, and one very large roll of very blank parchment. Hermione walked quietly into the room and closed the door.  
"You all right, Ron?" she whispered. "That was a stupid question. I'm sorry. Would you like some help?" she smiled.  
  
Ron shrugged. "This is too much. I'm too far behind. Finals are coming up, and I'm so far behind...oh, no, Hermione...it's all right. Besides, don't you have your own problems to worry about right now? I wouldn't want to burden you with mine." He groaned.  
  
"It's all right, Ron. Really, it is. I'm not meeting Malfoy until tomorrow morning. Apparently, he got knocked off his broom at the Quiddich game last weekend, and he's been in the infirmary milking it up ever since."  
  
"Oh," Ron sighed. "Well, did you understand anything Professor Flitwick said this morning? To me, it sounded like another language..." he admitted.  
  
Hermione laughed. "You know what? I'll talk, and you write. I can explain what it all means after we're done." She grinned at him.  
  
Three and a half hours later, it was nearly eleven at night, and Ron was finally done with his homework. He sighed with relief, and fell back on to Hermione's pillow. "Thanks, 'Mione." He whispered. "I really needed your help."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Ron," she shrugged. "Did you think I was just going to let you sit there all by yourself? Your face was screwed up all funny...like this..." Hermione furrowed her brow and twisted the corners of her mouth. Her eyes stuck out of her head.  
  
Ron laughed, but then he noticed Hermione's bulletin board. At the very top was an article from a Daily Prophet issue. His letter to her...  
  
"You kept that this long?" Ron asked her, changing the subject.  
  
Hermione blinked, and looked up at it. "I...yeah, I did, Ron." She whispered.  
  
"I hope it didn't scare you or anything...you hadn't mentioned it. I had pretty much given up. I thought I'd scared you away or something." He looked at the floor.  
  
"You didn't scare me away, Ron! I'm here, aren't I?" she smiled at him. "I wish I had the guts to do something like that, Ron. It really touched me." She admitted.  
  
Ron looked up. "Really?" his smile broadened.  
  
"Ron, there's something that I have to tell you..." Hermione sighed. "Ron...I feel the same way. Sirius told me I should tell you...that you can't love a person that long and not tell them about it..." she remembered.  
  
"Whoa! You talked to Sirius about this? You've liked me that long! Wow!" Ron blushed.  
  
Hermione shook her head. "No, Ron. Not Sirius...not really, anyway. His portrait. At Grimuald Place this summer. Do you remember?" she asked him.  
  
He nodded. "I was talking to Harry about it the other day. The day I found out about my parents..." he paused. "Yeah. The other day. Harry is inheriting that place, you know? And his parents' land in Godric's Hollow...he was telling me about it."  
  
"Oh," Hermione nodded. "Well, good night, Ron." Hermione leaned forward and gave Ron an ever-so-subtle kiss on his lips. He hopped off the bed so she could lay down, and tucked her in when she had.  
  
"Good night," he smiled at her. "And no trying to kill me tonight, okay?" he meant it as a joke, but Hermione's face reddened. She looked a little hurt. "I was kidding, 'Mione! I know you didn't mean it!" he laughed, and she smiled. "Sleep tight."  
  
Harry smiled. He had nearly walked in on a very personal moment. He laughed to himself. Finally, Ron and Hermione had begun to take things into their own hands. Things were starting to turn around. At least that was how it seemed...and Harry liked the direction in which things were heading.  
  
Tomorrow morning, Hermione and Ron were absent from breakfast. Harry knew of Hermione's meeting with Malfoy. She had told him and Ron practically everything, despite the fact that they were supposed to be clueless. As to Ron's absence, Harry could not explain it. He ate his breakfast anyway, occasionally talking to Ginny, Seamus, or Neville. When neither Ron nor Hermione showed up for Double Potions (which was still being taught by Professor Lupin), Harry became worried. As soon as Professor Lupin dismissed the class, Harry approached him.  
  
"Professor Lupin, have you seen Ron or Hermione this morning? I saw them in the common room, but that was before we all went down to breakfast...and I haven't seen them since." He explained.  
  
Lupin frowned. "Well, Malfoy was in class..."  
  
"Hermione was supposed to be meeting Malfoy at breakfast, sir! Why would he return when she did not? I'm worried, sir. What if something happened to her? And where on Earth has Ron been all morning?" he asked.  
  
"I understand your concern. I am going to go alert Dumbledore of their absence. Maybe he knows of something that can be done. I want you to go to your common room. Don't worry about going to your class right now. McGonnagal will understand. Stay in your common room until I come and fetch you, all right? Do not go anywhere." He said this last sentence with a note of warning in his voice.  
  
Harry waited for nearly an hour before he heard Lupin, and apparently several other people, charge into the common room. Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid, and Professor McGonnagal followed Professor Lupin closely. None of them looked as if they carried good news. Harry frowned deeply.  
  
"We can't find them, anywhere, Harry. Nowhere on campus." Lupin panted.  
  
Harry groaned, but brightened up for a minute. "Professor Lupin, what about the..." he didn't have to finish his sentence.  
  
"The Marauder's Map! Harry, where is it? Go get it!" Lupin commanded.  
  
The other teachers, with the exception of Professor Dumbledore, looked mildly confused. Harry came back with the map, which he had already activated.  
  
"Do you see them anywhere?" asked McGonnagal, staring at the map.  
  
"It says they're right here..." Harry walked over to a trophy case that stood near the portrait hole. "With Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange!" he screamed. "I don't understand, Professor Lupin! They're not here! I don't see them! They should be right here, but they aren't! The map has never lied before!" Harry was nearly panicking.  
  
Professor Lupin frowned. "Harry, that's just the point. The map can't lie. It's telling the truth. Maybe we just don't see whatever it is that it is seeing..."  
  
Harry glared hatefully at the map and paced back and forth in front of the trophy case. How could the map be wrong? Lupin had just said himself that the map wasn't capable of being wrong. But then...where were Ron and Hermione?"  
  
An evil cackling laugh seemed to fill the room that Hermione and Ron found themselves in. Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy were standing in front of them. Ron was already injured. Hermione could tell he had been in the room for a while. She had been tricked. Draco had made some kind of portkey. She knelt next to Ron. He was still breathing...thank goodness.  
  
"Hermione, so nice to see you. Did you have a nice vacation?" Lucius smirked.  
  
Hermione nodded convincingly. "...Yes. Wasn't really what I would call a vacation, but whatever you say, Lucius." She whispered.  
  
He nodded. "And do you know why you are here, Hermione?" he smirked.  
  
"Not really. Draco didn't tell me anything." She shrugged.  
  
He laughed. "You've been lying to us, my dear. You've been going to bat for both teams, haven't you? Telling Dumbledore everything?"  
  
"Of course not!" Hermione defended herself, although she knew she was lying.  
  
"Don't lie, girl!" hissed Lestrange. "We can see it in your eyes!"  
  
"I'm not!" Hermione yelled.  
  
"...You've been lying to us, so we decided that you're going to tell us the truth right now. Your little boyfriend wouldn't tell us anything...Crucio!" Lucius waved his wand again. Ron screamed and flailed with pain. Then he lay motionless.  
  
"Ron!" screamed Hermione. She laid her head on his chest. He was not dead yet, but she had to get him out of there...  
  
"Talk, little girl!" screamed Bellatrix.  
  
Hermione looked at Ron, winced, and gulped down a sob. She was going to die. They were going to die. "No..." she whispered.  
  
"Crucio!" Bellatrix screamed, and Hermione fell back and yelped with pain. Please, let it be over...  
  
Harry, frustrated, leaned up against the wall, and kicked the trophy case, hard. Dumbledore screamed as Harry began to vanish. The trophy case in the Gryffindor common room was some kind of portkey. Harry didn't know where it would lead him...  
  
Hermione was reaching for her wand. It had fallen when she had been hit with the curse. It seemed so far away...everything was so far away...  
  
Suddenly, Harry was there. He must have gotten there in the same manner that she had. How had he known where they were? Of course he hadn't known! The Death Eaters would do anything to have Harry Potter in their clutches. Now Harry was going to die, too. She had failed.  
  
"Harry! It's a trap!" she screamed. She was still twitching with pain.  
  
Harry frowned. "Obviously!" he smirked. "Where's...RON!" screamed Harry. He ran up to his friend.  
  
Bellatrix and Lucius were laughing now. Harry stood. "You! This is all your fault!" he screamed. "Let them go, damn it! It's me you want!" he demanded.  
  
"We can't do that, Harry Potter," smiled Bellatrix. "See, we'll be greatly rewarded for handing all three of you over. The Dark Lord will be so pleased..." she laughed. "See, the only problem for you is, you'll have to be dead first..." she raised her wand. "Adavara..." she began.  
  
"Stupefy..." Ron had raised his wand. He had just saved Harry from having the same fate as his parents. Ron slipped back into unconsciousness.  
  
Bellatrix flew backwards. She hit the wall. Lucius cursed, and raised his wand. Just the, Dumbledore appeared in the room. He had Lupin and Professor McGonnagal with him. Behind them, two Dementors were poised to attack.  
  
Lucius lowered his wand in pure horror. There were two loud cracks, and both Lucius and Bellatrix disappeared. Dumbledore rushed to Ron, and Lupin picked up Hermione.  
  
"Come on, Harry. We have to get them back quick!" he yelled, and motioned for Harry to follow him. McGonnagal ushered them over to her. In her hand was the trophy with Harry's father's name on it. Had that been the portkey? How had Harry gotten here by only kicking the trophy case? He had so many questions....  
  
Ron and Hermione had to be rushed to St. Mongo's. Harry accompanied them. It was there that he learned that Ron's dad had finally recovered. Now, he had to deal with seeing his son in the same predicament that he himself had been in. Harry stayed by his side while Ron and Hermione were in the hospital. Both of them were hoping Ron and Hermione had it in them to make a full recovery...  
  
A/N: There is one final chapter! Read and review! If the final chapter isn't already up, it will be really soon! 


	7. A New Life for Everyone

A/N: The final chapter! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
The end of their seventh year at Hogwarts was coming to a close, and Hermione and Ron were finally awake. Exams at Hogwarts had been cancelled for the year. Hermione made no comment about this news. She seemed to be glad enough to be alive, and to see Ron.  
  
The trio returned to school a week before it was to end. One thing they noticed was the absence of a certain Slytherin. They learned later that Malfoy had been taken to Azkaban shortly after the Ministry learned about what happened to Ron and Hermione.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for the end of the year banquet together. Waiting for them at the Gryffindor table was Ginny, Neville, and Seamus. Dumbledore was already standing and ready to address the group. He smiled at the three of them as they took their seats at their table.  
  
"Hello everyone!" Dumbledore grinned. "We find ourselves at the end of another year at Hogwarts! Only a few announcements about next year before the House Cup gets awarded. A new class will be offered next year to fifth years and above. The class, called Herbal Remedies, will work in conjunction with your herbology class. The class will be taught by our own Cho Chang." Cho stood, and Dumbledore nodded at her. Everyone clapped, and she sat back down.  
  
"Now, there are some last minute points that need awarding before I hand out the cup. To Ron Weasley, for supreme courage and loyalty in the face of danger...fifty points. To Hermione Granger, for use of excellent intuition and extreme bravery, I award fifty points. And finally to Harry Potter, for his driving determination and ingenious disregard for school property, I award fifty points." Dumbledore smiled at the three of them. There was a glint in his eye.  
  
Professor McGonnagal stood, and Dumbledore smiled. "And now, for the awarding of the house cup." He announced.  
  
"In fourth place, with 201 points is Slytherin." Professor McGonnagal pointed. "In third place, with 264 points is Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw comes in third place with 311 points, and first place is awarded to Gryffindor, with 516 points!" she smiled.  
  
It was rewarding to win the House Cup again. The Quiddich cup had been a different story. With three of its players missing during key points in the season, the Quiddich Cup had been awarded to Hufflepuff, who had come from behind to surprise everyone with a win against Slytherin in the finals.  
  
The good news did not end here, however. There was much more. Harry, with the help of Professor Lupin and Tonks, had arranged to start his training to become an Auror. He was to start a week after the next Hogwarts term began. Ron had secured himself a job in the Ministry of Magic's Magic Reversal Department. He was to marry Hermione in the spring. Hermione had gotten a job in the Ministry as well. She wasn't necessarily working alongside Ron, though. Hermione, ironic as it was, would be working directly under Mr. Weasley in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. After his near death experience, Mr. Weasley had been promoted to the head of his department.  
  
Dumbledore enjoyed the benefits of a promotion as well. Starting at the end of Harry's seventh year, Albus Dumbledore took over as Minister of Magic. Professor McGonnagal took over as Headmistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Lupin took in the benefits of full time employment as Hogwarts' newest Transfiguration teacher.  
  
Harry packed what little he had from the Dursley's house, and quickly moved himself out onto his parents' land in Godric's Hollow. He had a modestly sized house built where his parents' house had once stood. It had three bedrooms and two baths. Harry didn't know why he had built it so big when it was only he who lived in it, but it suited him.  
  
As for Number Twelve, Grimuald Place, Harry had decided what to do with it the moment he had heard about Ron and Hermione's engagement. Dumbledore called the Magic Reversal Department, who were able to undo the sticking charm that held Sirius's mother and other disruptive family members to the wall. Several members of the Order signed up for a different type of assignment: restoring the old house that had been left unused for so long. Tonks put her mother's household spells to the test. Moody enchanted the house with many different protection spells and charms ("Just to be safe," he grumbled.) Harry hadn't told Ron and Hermione what he was doing. It was going to be a surprise. Their surprise. After all, he didn't get the chance to play matchmaker as much as he'd hoped, so this was his way of contributing. The one portrait that was left in the house was the large one of Sirius that hung in one of the bedrooms. Hermione had told him of her encounter with it, so he left it there.  
  
In one of the closets, Harry found something that gave him quite a surprise. It was a box. The box was full of pictures of Sirius, Lupin, and his parents. Some went as far back as what Harry guessed had to be their first year in Hogwarts. He smiled as he filed through them. Below the pictures, but in the same box, was a small stack of yellowing parchment. Letters to Sirius from his parents. He looked at the first one, which was probably from his mother's fourth or fifth year at Hogwarts.  
  
'Dear Sirius, I hope you're having a good summer? You can come and stay with me if your mother gives you too much grief. My mother already said it was all right! And it's certainly all right with me...just don't bring James, okay? That boy gets on my nerves! He is so immature! Why is it that every girl in school is falling all over him?...Well, I hope I'll be seeing you sometime soon? Hang in there, Sirius! After all, it's only two months, isn't it? Love from, Lily'  
  
Harry smiled and turned through several more letters. There had to have been at least ten more that were from his parent's school days. Several were from his father. He had always liked Harry's mother. His letters revealed it. He paused at a letter addressed a month after his birth, and began to read. This one was from his father.  
  
'Dear Sirius, I do hope you get this letter, as I had to give it to one of those post office things. I'm hoping the Ministry will find it and send it for me, but I guess we'll never know. Dumbledore has put us under several protection charms. I don't understand what the fuss about Harry is. He's beautiful, Sirius...a Gryffindor for sure...but what makes him so special I have no idea. I don't really understand any of this. Lily says she isn't worried about it, but she cries in her sleep, Si. What should I do? I don't know what to say...I'm scared too, Sirius. I mean, I trust Peter...it was a great suggestion...but he's always been so...he's almost a Squib, Si. I'm trying not to worry about it...but every time I look at Harry...he's so small. It's not like he could protect himself if anything happened to us.'  
  
Harry frowned. There were smudges in the ink in this area. He was having great difficulty reading it because of the droplets of water. Tears? Harry's brow furrowed. Sirius had felt guilty about passing up the chance to be his parents' secret keeper. He had told Harry he would've died...he wouldn't have told anyone where they were...the conversation brought a deeper frown to Harry's face. His cheeks were hot. He sighed, and continued reading the letter.  
  
'I hope you got those pictures we sent you, Sirius. I didn't know Lily had taken so many. We have copies of every one...you can do that with Muggle film...so these are for you. Enjoy them until we can see each other again, okay? -Prongs'  
  
"Found 'the box', did you?" Moody smiled.  
  
Harry looked up. "Huh? Oh, you mean this? Yeah." He nodded. "I think I'm going to take it with me. I'm sure Hermione and Ron won't need it," Harry laughed as he took the box from the closet.  
  
He turned around and nearly bumped straight into Mr. Weasley. Mr. Weasley laughed. "Don't worry, Harry. Ron and Hermione aren't here. I've given Hermione some unnecessary work to do at the Ministry, and I turned Magnolia Crescent, that road next to your uncle's house, into chocolate pudding. I daresay Ron has his work cut out for him,"  
  
Harry laughed as a vision of Ron swimming through chocolate pudding flashed through his mind. He could only imagine the look on his aunt and uncle's faces had Mr. Weasley turned their street into a chocolate dessert. "Well, are you here to help, Mr. Weasley?" he finally asked.  
  
"Yes. I believe I've been put on the decorating committee. I've brought this with me. I thought we could put it someplace special..." He pulled out a picture frame. Inside was the letter Ron had sent to the Daily Prophet. Mr. Weasley had somehow gotten hold of the original copy, and a copy of the issue it was printed in.  
  
"Brilliant!" Harry smiled.  
  
It took the group nearly two weeks to disinfect the large house. When they finally finished, Dumbledore helped them out once again, calling an emergency Order meeting. When Hermione and Ron arrived, they were surprised to find the house looking gorgeous and perfectly inhabitable.  
  
"This place has changed!" Hermione gasped.  
  
Harry grinned. "It's changed just for you and Ron. I couldn't think of anything to do with it, so I talked to your dad. Dumbledore and the Order have been helping me restore it for two weeks. We even called in your department, Ron...you were away on business, I'm afraid..." he laughed.  
  
"Wait, this place...is for us?" Hermione covered her mouth to hide the fact that her jaw had dropped. "It looks beautiful, everyone!" She turned to Ron. "Ron, can you believe it?"  
  
Ron shook his head. "Gee...thanks, Harry. I would've never imagined...this place is so big..." he marveled.  
  
"Well, Ron...there is a history of twins in the family..." His dad smiled at Hermione, who visibly blushed.  
  
A new year at Hogwarts had finally begun, which meant that Harry's training as an Auror was to begin as well. He ran into Cho Chang in the Magical Mishaps department. She was there with Professor Flitwick, who looked rather...green.  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow and smiled. Cho turned around. "Oh, hi, Harry. The Professor ate one of my remedies. Thought it was a salad, I guess, and since there was nothing wrong with him..." she pointed.  
  
He smiled at her. He hadn't really spoken to her much since the end of his fifth year. He remembered she had always been pretty, but looking at her now...she was beautiful. "Hey Cho...when I'm done with this training program...do you...do you want to go out to lunch or something?" he couldn't believe what he'd just asked her.  
  
"Sure," much to his surprise, she had accepted.  
  
"Um...okay." He smiled. "I have to go!" he waved as he turned to run towards the Auror department.  
  
Nearly six months later, Hermione and Ron were married, Harry was finally an Auror, and he and Cho had been seeing each other very steadily since the day after his training ended. In the next year, Hermione would have the first of five children, twin girls with her brown hair and Ron's eyes. Her other three children would inherit the flaming red hair that was characteristic of the Weasley family. Also in the next year, Ginny, the last of the Weasley children, would graduate from Hogwarts. Nearly a year after that, she surprised everyone, marrying Neville Longbottom. ("I never saw that one coming!" Hermione had exclaimed to Harry when she saw him at the Ministry.)  
  
Harry and Cho's relationship progressed steadily. Harry finally asked Cho to marry him nearly seven months after Ron and Hermione's twins were born, and three after he triumphed over Voldemort. Cho moved into the house in Godric's Hollow with Harry. Harry was with Cho nearly a year later when she had her first baby. It was a boy.  
  
"Are we naming him after your father?" asked Cho.  
  
Harry nodded. "That would work, but what about a middle name?"  
  
"I don't know..." Cho stared at the little boy in her arms. The stress of thinking really hard was starting to put a wrinkle in her forehead.  
  
"What about Cedric?" Harry asked.  
  
Cho frowned. "Harry, you don't have to...I was fourteen. I've dealt with it..." she smiled. "It's all right."  
  
"It doesn't have anything to do with that, Cho." He shook his head. "Not really anyway. Think about it as a way of honoring Cedric's memory..."  
  
"Oh..." Cho nodded. "People from our past...I see..." she smiled. "That's nice of you, Harry..."  
  
"I love you, Cho," he smiled, kissing her and then kissing his new son, "and I love you..." he whispered in the baby's ear. James Cedric Potter was fast asleep in his mother's arms.... and Harry finally knew why his house was so big. His family...everything was complete.  
  
A/N: Not too good at the endings...but I hope you liked it! Please read and review! 


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